Sweep Dreams

The 2014 Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 7, and, if television viewership is anything like 2010’s games, one of the most-watched sports will be curling.

By Sarah Thurmond

Published: January 31, 2014

Photo by Nicole Mlakar

Curling may look a little odd, but it requires a lot of skill and can provide a great workout. Plus, it’s social: The Lone Star Curling Club traditionally has the winning team buy the losers a round of drinks. How to play: Two teams made up of four players each take turns pushing (or “throwing,” in curling parlance) granite rocks down a sheet of ice toward a target (the “house”). Teammates vigorously sweep the ice to remove debris from the playing surface and to melt a thin layer of ice that helps the rocks glide further. The object is to be the team that finishes with the rock (or rocks) closest to the center (“button”) of the house. See more info below.

A Beginner’s Guide: Impress your friends with these basics of the sport

The Benefits
Curling takes a great deal of balance (you’re on ice after all), flexibility and stamina. “You could sweep up to a couple of miles in a match,” says Lone Start Curling Club instructor Pat Popovich. Plus, you can burn up to 300 calories in an hour.

The Match
Like innings in baseball, matches are comprised of “ends.” A match typically lasts two hours.

The Throw
Players push (aka “throw”) two rocks during a turn. Gliding on ice in a lunge position, they release a rock before the “hog line.”

The Rock
A rock, which weighs about 42 pounds, is traditionally made of granite from Ailsa Craig, an island off of Scotland, and they’re expensive: A set (eight rocks) costs about $5,000.

The Sheet
Matches are played on areas about 150 feet long called sheets. The starting block, called the “hack,” is where a player begins his or her turn.

The Skip
Otherwise known as the team captain, the skip tells his teammates where to aim their rocks. A skip throws the last rock, known as “the hammer,” in an end.

The Curl
To “curl” a rock, a player starts by holding the rock’s handle at either a 2 o’clock or a 10 o’clock angle. The curler then releases it at noon, which will put either a counterclockwise or clockwise spin on the rock.